Married Clients To Pay Higher Fines In Russia!

Many countries are adopting the Nordic model because they think that, by punishing the clients for paying for sex, the supply will go away. We know better, but that isn’t stopping the powers that be from trying it in the false hope that it will make a difference. After all, we can’t have consenting adults doing things behind closed doors, can we?

Well, it seems that in Russia they don’t feel that their current punishments for those “using the services of prostitutes” are harsh enough and so they are trying to work out more severe fines. However, these fines actually differ depending on your relationship status. Yes, really. Here on Escort Norway we take a look at just what this means.

The previous laws

Currently, prostitution is illegal in Russia, although many don’t consider partaking in it to be a serious crime. As a result, you can be fined between 1,500 and 2,000 rubles for “engaging” in prostitution, while the sentences get a little more serious for those who are actually organising it and they could face jail.

In 2012, the Belgorod Region is the south of Russia decided to introduce a law that would see those people caught paying for sexual services fined a whopping total of 5,000 rubles, which is more than they previously would have been.

Oleg Mikheyev, a member of the Fair Russia party, believes that this method of fining those caught is an effective method of dealing with the problem, explaining that “similar measures had worked in foreign countries” before and that it “would help to combat prostitution more effectively than the existing norms as they undermine the economics of the sex services sector”.

However, Mikheyev is hoping that some amendments can be made to the administrative code, with a new article added to explain the different reasons people will get fined.

It seems that the new proposed punishments will vary, depending on your marital status. Basically, single people will continue to pay the fines between 1,500 and 2,000 rubles, while any married clients (male or female) could see fines between 2,000 and 5,000 rubles. They could also face up to 40 hours of community service.

Yes, you could have to pay a huge amount of money for spending time with a sex worker, but you’ll have to pay more if you are married. Unfair? We think so!

The reasoning behind it

Okay, so Mikheyev believes that the whole fining people trick works in other countries, and if we look at the official statistics and statements from the Swedish government, you’d think that is the case, but statistics can be manipulated.

While Sweden insist that the amount of sex workers in the country has gone down, there is no way to properly confirm that. Yes, they’ve got some impressive looking figures to show the amount of sex workers now, but it isn’t a true representation and they have no “before” figures to compare them to!

However, Mikheyev seems to be under the impression that the harsh fines for the married will have a huge impact, as “these people have more responsibilities before the community”. I’m not sure about that, Mikheyev.

He explained in a statement that “when a married man pays for sex he is committing a much more serious offense – he hides money from the family budget and puts his wife at risk of getting an STD”.

They are, of course, ignoring the fact that you are more likely to catch an STI or STD on a random one night stand than you are from an escort, as they have their own condoms and take good care of their own sexual health. They aren’t about the risk all of that for a client. There is also the fact that a man won’t simply see a prostitute and then go and have sex with his wife. Most of the time, the married men seeing sex workers are having a hard time at home and so go to someone who will understand.

Better than the previous bills!

Of course, these fines might seem pretty harsh, but they could be a lot worse. Take a look back to St. Petersburg in 2014, when lawmaker Olga Galkina believed they had a great idea for resolving the issue.

Their proposal would have seen fines of up to 2,400 rubles for using sexual services, but there was a loophole for those clients wanting to escape the punishment. All they would have to do is marry the sex worker.

I’m sure many of you would be more than happy to marry your favourite escort, but we all have our own lives, as do many of the sex workers. Would they not get a say in this? Would it be forced upon them?

Unsurprisingly, the bill didn’t actually make it through the city legislature, which we know many people will be happy about. After all, it is a bit of a ridiculous idea. It would be like saying to a thief that they won’t go to jail if they marry the person they stole from. It just makes no sense whatsoever!

However, these fines could have a huge impact on the sex industry in Russia. Things are already pretty tough for escorts around the world, with many countries choosing to adopt the Nordic model, but with many believing that fines are the way to go, how will clients be able to pay the escorts what they are worth?

It’s a bit unfair, if you ask us, especially as what happens behind closed doors between consenting adults is no-one’s business but those in the room. When will we understand that? Will we ever learn that, or do the public hate the idea of people having sex for fun and money so much that they will never believe it? Let us know what you think either by leaving a comment in the box below or by visiting the Escort Norway forum to share your thoughts.

Lara Mills is a writer who has four years of sex industry expertise behind her. Since she entered the adult industry, she has worked on the Escort Advertising forums, before moving into her current role three years ago.

Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.

In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.